#The 5 Best Things You Should Buy From a Restaurant Supply Store

Shopping Guides from The Kitchn

Some might find restaurant supply stores unattractive and utilitarian, but I can't pass by one without going in. Sure, there aren't any items with pretty packaging or cutesy gadgets vying for my attention, but I just love wandering down the aisles and seeing what restaurants use to efficiently get food out to their guests.

1. Baking Sheets

Also known in the restaurant industry as sheet pans, these are the pans that can do it all: bake cookies, roast vegetables, or even act as jelly roll pans. You want heavy-duty baking sheets that won't buckle or warp, and restaurant supply stores have never failed to offer good quality at great values. Make sure you stock up on half-sheet pans, which fit in standard ovens, as well as quarter-sheet pans, which are great for toasting nuts or other little baking or prep projects.

2. Chef's Knives

If you can't afford a more expensive designer knife, restaurant supply stores have lightweight but sharp chef's knives with plastic handles, usually around $10 to $15. When I taught at a cooking school, we always had a bin of these knives around for students to use, and they held a good edge for a long time.

3. Frying Pans

Not everyone can buy a set of All-Clad pans, and neither do most restaurants. Instead, they rely on strong aluminum pans that can take the high heat and high-stress cooking that goes on in restaurant kitchens. These pans get a lot of use yet still do a great job of searing and sautéing, and they can do the same thing in a home kitchen for a fraction of the cost of name-brand pans.

4. Plastic Cutting Boards

A good set of plain, plastic cutting boards is always needed in the kitchen. Even if you have a great butcher block, plastic boards are good for cutting meat and are also easier to maneuver in the kitchen. Restaurant supply stores have a wide range of boards in multiple sizes that will hold up for years.